LB Lydell Hartford Jr. shot to death

PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff says a freshman walk-on linebacker was shot to death outside his home in Louisiana.

The university says 20-year-old Lydell Hartford Jr. died early Tuesday at his home in Waggaman, La. Authorities say Hartford was fatally shot by a 16-year-old friend who was playing with a gun.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office says the teen apparently thought the gun was unloaded when he squeezed the trigger several times. Hartford was killed by a gunshot wound to the neck. The boy was arrested on a negligent homicide charge.

Defensive coordinator Earl Buckingham says the team is mourning the loss. Buckingham says Hartford was a "good kid" who loved playing for the Golden Lions.